Selecting 4 members from groups and atleast 1 from group A

combinationscombinatorics

If a team of four persons is to be selected from 8 males and 8
females, then in how many ways can the selections be made to include
at least one male.

I am able to find 3 ways to solve this questions:

  1. Total ways $-$ ways in which no male is included
  2. Make cases like 1 male 3 female, 2 male 2 females…
  3. Select 1 male and then fill rest three freely as

${8 \choose 1} * {15 \choose 3}$

I can't wrap my head around this. Rest 2 of them works but this method doesn't. I am missing something basic. Thanks.

Best Answer

Methods 1 and 2 should work.

  1. ${16\choose4}-{8\choose4}=1750$
  2. ${8\choose1}{8\choose3}+{8\choose2}{8\choose2}+{8\choose3}{8\choose1}+{8\choose4}=1750$

Method 3 does not correctly count the set. You would be counting M1 + M2W1W2 as a different arrangement than M2 + M1W1W2 even though they represent the same team.

Related Question